Cynthia Jean Goodrum, 34, was shot to death by her husband last week. Originally in Edinburg, Goodrum was buried in her hometown Wednesday morning, the same day that her husband, Narada Goodrum, 33, committed suicide in Las Vegas.

Cynthia Jean Goodrum, 34, was shot to death by her husband last week. Originally in Edinburg, Goodrum was buried in her hometown Wednesday morning, the same day that her husband, Narada Goodrum, 33, committed

Moments before Cynthia Jean Goodrum's funeral began Wednesday in her hometown of Edinburg, her husband and suspected killer fatally shot himself after a short police chase in Las Vegas, officials said.

Narada K'fonse Goodrum, 33, had been on the run since last week, when he allegedly shot his pregnant wife inside her West Bexar County home.

Around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, he apparently committed suicide after a foot pursuit that began when officials with the U.S. Marshals and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, who had been tracking his movements, arrived at a Super 8 motel near Las Vegas Boulevard to serve a murder warrant.

“The task force went looking for Mr. Goodrum this morning,” said Officer Marcus Martin with the Las Vegas police. “When they made contact with him, he took his own life using a firearm.”

Thirty minutes later, relatives and friends in the Rio Grande Valley gathered at a private funeral in Edinburg. Funeral attendees placed band-aids on Cynthia Goodrum's casket to remember the nurse who worked at Northeast Baptist Hospital.

Last Thursday, the Goodrums argued in the front yard of their home in the 3100 block of Carswell Bend, where a neighbor saw Narada Goodrum drag his wife inside the house by her hair.

Cynthia Goodrum, who was at the house to meet with an alarm company employee to change her system's codes, activated alarms at the house just after noon. The alarms summoned officers who found her dead of a gunshot wound in the kitchen.

In the hours after the slaying, Narada Goodrum bought a pack of cigars and traded in his used car for a new Nissan Maxima. That vehicle, officials said, was tracked to Las Vegas.

According to a Bexar County officer close to the case, Narada Goodrum ran out of his hotel room and was chased by members of the task force for about 20 yards before he shot himself.

Court records show Cynthia Goodrum, 34, had filed for a divorce and a temporary restraining order the day before the slaying. The couple married for a second time — they first divorced in 2009 — on Dec. 18, but Cynthia Goodrum discovered her husband was cheating on her and said the relationship had grown volatile in recent days, according to the divorce petition.

Her attorney, Mark Thompson, said Narada Goodrum had not yet been served with legal papers when he shot his wife.

“She was very scared,” he said. “She wanted to know what to do.”

An affidavit dated Dec. 26, states: “My husband has a criminal history for theft and has recently purchased several handguns and assault rifles. He has also been diagnosed as bi-polar, and I am worried that he is not taking his medication.”

She was worried for her safety, the affidavit states, as well as the safety of her unborn child and the couple's 6-year-old son, Tristan, who was with other relatives at the time of her death.

Sam Gonzalez, who coached Tristan's flag football team, said he and other parents were shocked to hear the news about the Goodrums, who never missed a practice or a game, he said.

“They were just an everyday couple. She was very dedicated to supporting Tristan and was always smiling,” Gonzalez said. “Tristan is amazing. It breaks my heart. Every time he pulled a flag, he would look to his parents on the sidelines for approval.”

He said he's reached out to Tristan through an online memorial for Cynthia Goodrum and hopes they can stay close.

“I can't imagine what he's going through,” he said, his voice cracking. “I know it's going to be hard for him, growing up without his parents.”

emoravec@express-news.net

Twitter: @EvaRuth

Latest from the Chron.com Homepage

Click below for the top news from around the Houston area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more. Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page.